Final answer:
The digestive system contributed to the student's problems mainly through excessive electrolyte loss, often a result of prolonged vomiting and diarrhea, rather than impairment in insulin production or oxygen deprivation.
Step-by-step explanation:
The digestive system plays a crucial role in nutrient absorption and maintaining fluid and electrolyte balance in the body. In the scenario presented, the digestive system contributed to the student's problems through:
- Impaired nutrient absorption which can be caused by damage to the villi in the small intestine, leading to malabsorption of essential nutrients (Answer a).
- Excessive electrolyte loss is often related to conditions such as prolonged vomiting and diarrhea, which lead to a substantial loss of digestive fluids (Answer b).
- Insulin deficiency is typically associated with the endocrine function of the pancreas rather than the digestive process (Answer c).
- Although oxygen deprivation can affect all systems in the body, it is not directly related to digestive system function (Answer d).
Therefore, the correct answer is b. Excessive electrolyte loss, which corresponds with the information that describes symptoms related to prolonged vomiting and diarrhea.